Courage
by WickedForGood13
Summary: Karofsky's abuse escalates and Blaine is there to catch Kurt when he falls. WARNING: Spoilers up to "Never Been Kissed" and boy/boy kissing. Read on...


_Courage_.

That one little word was usually enough to brighten Kurt's day.

Not today.

That morning Kurt had been greeted by a slushie in the face, a shove into the nearest locker between every class, another slushie during lunch, more locker shoving, and a final slushie facial after school. To say Kurt's day had been hell would have been an understatement.

Every since Karofsky's kiss the previous month, and his and Blaine's confrontation with Karofsky the following day, the abuse had gotten worse.

Not that Kurt was going to tell. If he told his dad, he'd be yanked out of there faster than he could say, "Teenage Dream." Nor would he tell Blaine. Blaine, who encouraged him to stand and fight his bullies, would be ashamed of Kurt for being so weak as to simply take the abuse and not do anything about it. He didn't want to appear weak in his mentor's eyes, so he said nothing.

_Want to meet at our place around 4?_

Kurt tried to smile at Blaine's simple text. Since the confrontation, he and Blaine had become closer. They'd hung out almost every day and were constantly texting the other. That past weekend, Blaine had called him and they'd ended up spending an hour on the phone. They'd talked about everything and anything—their favorite books, movies, music, shows they'd been to see, even politics. Yet now he was afraid. He was afraid that if he was around Blaine for very long, the secret of his abuse would come out. Kurt didn't want that. He didn't want Blaine to think less of him for protecting his dad from another heart attack by remaining silent—the opposite of what Blaine had encouraged Kurt to do.

_Sure._

Kurt could never refuse Blaine anything, so he would go. It could be an acting exercise, to see how well he could disguise his pain.

Kurt went back to listening to Mr. Schue ramble on about that week's "assignment." Mr. Schue's assignments were never very challenging for Kurt. Nothing at McKinley was very challenging for Kurt. He was pulling straight A's in all in his classes without even trying.

Kurt found his mind wondering back to the day he'd gone to "spy" on the Warblers. He'd felt so at home there, and with Blaine—as though he would be safe from the abuse and harassment he was experiencing at McKinley. Although tuition for Dalton Academy was high, Kurt thought that the price would be well worth the education he would get. In his talks with Blaine, he'd discovered how smart he was. Kurt felt that he would fit in at Dalton, with its zero-tolerance for bullies. Dalton seemed to be a place that would allow Kurt to "blossom" without bringing him down—except for the uniform, that is.

Finally, Mr. Schue dismissed Glee club. Kurt made his way to the bathroom, where he applied the daily make-up that hid the steady stream of bruises, as well as the bags under his eyes from sleepless nights.

He got in his car and drove to his and Blaine's "place," a coffee shop halfway between their respective towns.

Kurt took out his phone—4pm on the dot.

He got out and walked inside, where he saw Blaine already sitting at a table.

As he approached, Blaine got up and pulled him into a hug. Kurt tried not to wince as Blaine gripped his back, which was sensitive after the countless locker shoves that day (and everyday).

Blaine released him and stepped back.

"Why are your clothes all pink, Kurt?" asked Blaine. "I thought you hated the color pink."

"I do. It certainly isn't my choice to be wearing pink. It's just that the flavor of the day was cherry and I only brought so many changes of clothes."

Understanding came over Blaine's face, followed by sympathy, then anger.

"You were _slushied_?" he asked in a deceptively calm voice.

Kurt nodded.

"How many times?" asked Blaine.

Kurt blanched.

Blaine continued, "Since you said you only brought so many changes of clothes with you, I gather you were slushied more than once. _How many times?_"

Kurt was frozen in fear. He'd never seen or heard Blaine this angry before.

Blaine seemed to sense this and attempted to calm down. He pulled out Kurt's chair and guided him into it before taking his own seat.

He explained his behavior. "It's just, I hate seeing you like this. It pisses me off that things such as slushies actually occur at your school. If someone tried that at Dalton, they'd be kicked out of there faster than they could say, 'Teenage Dream.' "

Both smiled at the shared memory of Blaine singing "Teenage Dream" with the Warblers the day Kurt came to "spy" on them.

Blaine broke out of his reverie. "How many times, Kurt?" he asked again.

"Three," Kurt finally whispered.

Blaine could only stare in shock. "_Three?_ THREE? You were slushied _three_ times today?"

Kurt nodded, hiding his face from what was sure to be Blaine's disapproving stare.

"Hey," Blaine said, out of his seat in an instant and kneeling at Kurt's side. "Look at me," he said softly. When Kurt still refused to meet his gaze, Blaine gently put a hand under Kurt's chin and brought his face up to meet his concerned, rather than disapproving, stare.

Kurt gazed brokenly into Blaine's eyes. "Why do you care? Why are you even still here?" he asked, dejectedly. "I'm not standing up for myself. I'm just taking it. I'm not doing anything, which is the exact opposite of what you encouraged me to do. You must be so disappointed in me."

"Don't ever think that, Kurt. I could never be disappointed in you."

_Just you wait,_ thought Kurt. _Wait until you find out the extent of the abuse I've been subjected to. I'm sure then you'll be disappointed in me._

Blaine was studying Kurt. He was hiding something, Blaine was sure of it.

"What else is wrong, Kurt?" asked Blaine. "You aren't usually so down about a slushie facial, even when it's been three times in one day."

"Nothing else is wrong, Blaine," said Kurt, hoping he could convince Blaine to drop the subject. "I'm just upset that I ran out of clothes to change into. I'll never get the stains out of these," Kurt motioned to his now ruined clothes, "which means I'll never wear them again. I'm just upset about that and disappointed in myself that I let it happen."

"You shouldn't be disappointed in yourself, Kurt. It's not your fault."

Blaine left it at that. He'd get to the bottom of what was troubling Kurt sooner or later. He cared a great deal about the younger boy and would do his best to ensure that no harm came to him.

The two moved on to more comfortable topics, such as the Warblers and the upcoming performance at Sectionals.

Blaine informed him that Wes and David missed the "spy," as they'd dubbed him.

Kurt smiled at that. He'd enjoyed his time with them.

Blaine sensed that, so he invited Kurt for another visit, which Kurt readily accepted.

Blaine felt like crying at how quick Kurt was to accept his invitation to visit Dalton again. Blaine hadn't missed noticing how at home Kurt had seemed that first day and how lost he seemed now.

It was soon time for dinner, so the two separated and drove home.

Kurt's thoughts were with Blaine and how comfortable he was with him, how in tune Blaine was to his emotions and how he seemed to know when he was hiding something. Likewise, Blaine's thoughts were with Kurt and how he could help the young teen.

Once home, Kurt put on his usual act for his dad, explaining that he'd been meeting Blaine for coffee and that everything was going great at school.

He excused himself shortly after dinner and went to his room to be by himself and think, since he didn't have any homework.

He saw that he had an unread text message, so he opened it.

_You're not alone. I'm here when you're ready to talk._

Kurt almost cried at the sentiment behind Blaine's simple text.

He fell into a fitful sleep, plagued by dreams of Karofsky's kiss, slushie facials, locker shoves, and Blaine coming to his rescue.

Blaine slept no better. He sensed that Kurt was in trouble but he didn't know what to do to help him. He dreamt of the confrontation with Karofsky, being shoved into the chain link fence, and kissing Kurt.

That morning, Kurt dragged himself out of bed and began his morning routine.

Of course, his effort to look nice was for naught since the moment he entered McKinley he was greeted with a slushie facial.

"What's up, Lady?" taunted Karofsky.

Kurt bit back a snide remark that would get him beaten up, instead walking past Karofsky to the nearest bathroom.

_Of course no one would follow to see if I was alright,_ thought Kurt. _They all just assume I am, that I've grown used to the taunts and jeers over the years._

Kurt choked back a bitter laugh. The others didn't know how right they almost were. Sure, he'd never grown completely used to the looks and insults, but he'd come to accept them. Now, he barely bat an eye when someone called him names or when he was thrown in the dumpsters or slushied or shoved into lockers or the countless other things his peers had come up with to torture him for his sexuality.

After washing his face and rinsing his hair of the icy cold drink, Kurt returned to the hallway where he was promptly pushed into the nearest row of lockers. He stumbled and lost his footing, landing on the floor in a heap.

_Oh, joy. New bruises for my already battered body,_ thought Kurt.

As expected, no one made a move to help Kurt to his feet.

And that was how the rest of Kurt's day progressed. He'd never been so grateful to be dismissed from Glee club. He just wanted to go home and take a hot shower, however painful it would be.

Of course, Blaine had to interrupt Kurt's plans with a text asking to meet him so they could talk. Kurt replied (I'm on my way), despite the knot forming in his stomach. He was worried that Blaine wanted to talk about what he'd sensed was bothering Kurt the other day.

Blaine's face certainly did nothing to ease Kurt's anxiety. Blaine looked uncomfortable.

As Kurt opened the door to the coffee shop, Blaine stood and quickly pulled Kurt into a crushing hug that had him gasping for air.

"Blaine…can't…breath," he managed to get out.

"Oh, right. Sorry," said Blaine, releasing Kurt and stepping back.

"What brought that on?" asked Kurt to distract himself from the pain Blaine's hug had caused the new bruises forming on his back.

"I was afraid you wouldn't come. You seemed so down yesterday. I just wanted to remind you that you aren't alone. I'm here, your dad, your friends in Glee club, Wes and David, we're all here for you."

"I…thank you, Blaine," Kurt stammered, flattered by the concern Blaine was showing. "But, if I may ask, what happened to bring this on? Were you afraid that I might…commit suicide?"

Blaine glanced at him, before quickly dropping his eyes. "The thought had crossed my mind. I'd never seen you so...distraught, especially over a slushie. I don't mean to trivialize the slushie facials at McKinley, but that seems relatively tame compared to what could be going on."

Kurt couldn't meet Blaine's eyes. "I'm not going anywhere," he said to the floor, ashamed that he was still hiding the truth from Blaine of how bad things really were.

The two boys hugged again.

"Was there something else?" asked Kurt, as Blaine again seemed uncomfortable, embarrassed almost.

"Well," Blaine began. "Yes, there was. I was wondering ifyou'dwanttogooutwithme?"

Kurt started. He'd never heard Blaine rattle off a sentence as fast as Rachel Berry.

"What?" he whispered, afraid he'd misheard Blaine.

"Kurt," Blaine began again, more slowly this time. "Will you go out with me and be my boyfriend?"

"Yes," Kurt managed to whisper through the tears pouring out of his eyes.

He loved and was loved in return. It was too good to be true.

Slowly, Blaine approached him, tilting his head to the side. With his eyes, he seemed to be asking Kurt's permission. In response, Kurt closed his eyes and tilted his own head to the side. When their lips met in the middle, it was perfect—just the way a first kiss ought to be. Blaine's lips were warm and soft against Kurt's. They fit together perfectly. Later on, Kurt would swear that he saw stars.

"That was…amazing," breathed Blaine.

"Wow," Kurt whispered.

They smiled at each other before leaning in for another quick kiss.

When they pulled away this time, Blaine gave Kurt a squeeze, before leading him over to their table and pulling out his chair for him. Kurt smiled appreciatively.

"Now," Blaine began, watching how Kurt instantly tensed. _What does he think I'm going to say or do that has him so on edge? _"Would you care to explain why your all your clothes are stained again?"

"Slushie attack. It's nothing," Kurt said, trying to shrug it off, but Blaine could see how bothered he was by the constant bullying. As Kurt shrugged, he also saw Kurt wince, as though he were in pain.

"It's not _nothing_, Kurt. It _is_ something, something that's bothering you."

Kurt finally cracked. "I just don't understand why. Just because he's so far in the closet he's having tea in Narnia, why does he have to take it out on me?"

_So it __**is**__ Karofsky,_ thought Blaine.

"Has he been hurting you? Physically, I mean?"

"I'm fine," Kurt replied, evading the question.

"So, I was wondering if you'd like to come over to my house tomorrow and watch a movie with me."

"Like a date?" asked Kurt, trying not to show how relieved he was by the change in topic.

"Yeah, like a date. We can watch the 6th Harry Potter movie, if you want. That way we'll be caught up for when we go see the 7th movie."

"Sounds good. I love Harry Potter," said Kurt, with a smile.

As Kurt drove home, he thought about his day. What started out as a typically crappy day had turned into the best day of his life—he had a boyfriend! Now if only the guilt about not telling Blaine the truth would go away…

Blaine was puzzled. He and Kurt were together now. Kurt should be able to tell Blaine anything, yet he was hiding something. He was in pain—that much was obvious. Blaine wondered what it was the jocks at McKinley, Karofsky in particular, were doing to bring Kurt down.

The next day, Friday, Kurt didn't put any effort into how he looked.

_What's the point?_ He thought bitterly. _I'll only get my clothes stained from a slushie facial. Besides, I can go home after school and change before heading over to Blaine's._

At the thought of Blaine, Kurt's mood instantly lifted. He'd called Mercedes after he got home the previous night and told her the good news. She'd been happy for him, which made Kurt happy. He'd been neglecting her lately, but he intended to make it up to her. He'd already started by telling her, before anyone else, about Blaine.

Kurt had been right to not dress up that day. He was greeted with a cold slushie in the face, leaving him spluttering and gasping for air.

He stalked off to the bathroom, chanting in his mind, "Courage. Courage. Courage." But he could only tell himself that so many times.

Dejectedly, Kurt made it through the day. He briefly wondered why he'd only been slushied once, but brushed it off seeing as Karofsky hadn't let up on the locker shoves. Today was particularly brutal. Kurt didn't relish the pain the new bruises would bring. However, Kurt had grown accustomed to pain, so he sucked it up and "took it like a man." Kurt laughed at the phrase that crossed his mind—the Neanderthals at McKinley would hardly consider him a man. They preferred to call him "Lady."

The end of school, and Glee, finally came.

Kurt made his way to his locker to drop off his books. He smiled at the thought of no homework that weekend. As he eyed the picture of Blaine hanging in his locker, accompanied by the word, "Courage," Kurt positively beamed at the thought of spending time with his boyfriend that afternoon.

_Boyfriend_. Kurt could hardly believe it was true. In Glee, Mercedes had again congratulated him before telling him to tell Blaine that if he (Blaine) hurt him (Kurt), the fiery pits of hell would look tame compared to what she would do to him.

Kurt smiled at the memory as he closed his locker, only to find himself staring up at Karofsky's imposing form.

Kurt's smile instantly faded. Happiness was replaced with fear. Yet, he refused to show Karofsky that he was intimidated.

Blaine's voice came to him with a single word, "Courage."

"What do you want?" asked Kurt, trying to step around Karofsky, only to have his path blocked as Karofsky stepped in his way.

Kurt's stomach clenched in fear—there was no one around, Karofsky could do as he pleased.

As though reading his mind, Karofsky leaned over Kurt and began to forcefully kiss him.

Blaine's voice still ringing in his ears, Kurt pushed him away and tried to run.

"What's your hurry?" asked Karofsky, leering over him.

"Stay away from me," yelled Kurt, trying to attract someone's attention. "I have a boyfriend, so back off."

Kurt suddenly found himself slammed against the wall, similar to the way Karofsky had slammed Blaine into the chain link fence the previous month.

"Is it that pansy that was here last month?"

Wordlessly, Kurt nodded. His back was in pain. This was worse than all the locker shoves Karofsky had inflicted on him. Now, Karofsky refused to lessen his hold on Kurt, pinning him to the wall.

"Break up with him," Karofsky ordered. "I love you and want to be with you."

"Why would I break up with someone I love for someone who's made my life a living hell?" asked Kurt.

"I can change. I'll treat you right," pleaded Karofsky.

"I will never love you," Kurt proclaimed in as strong a voice as he could. Accompanying his words, he again pushed Karofsky away and bolted for the exit. He made it to the parking lot before Karofsky caught up to him.

Kurt found himself lying face down on the pavement. Karofsky was standing over him.

"Listen to me, Hummel. Break up with your boyfriend or so help me…"

Karofsky let his voice trail off in hopes that Kurt would break up with Blaine out of fear of what Karofsky would do to him.

"I'll never break up with Blaine," said Kurt, still face down. "I love him and nothing you say or do is going to change that. So, go ahead. Do your worst."

Kurt tensed, braced for impact, and wasn't disappointed. Karofsky's foot connected with Kurt's side. He winced, but remained silent. Karofsky continued pummeling Kurt, all in places that would be hidden by his clothes. Kurt remained silent throughout the entire beating.

_It's for Blaine_, he thought over and over again_. It's for Blaine. Just stay strong. It'll all be over soon. Courage, Kurt, courage._

Finally, Karofsky tired of beating Kurt, who was now nearly unconscious. Karofsky picked up Kurt's lifeless body and unceremoniously tossed him in the dumpster, Kurt's first "dumpster dive" in a while. Before Kurt was thrown in, he'd opened his eyes slightly to see graffiti on the side of the dumpster, a word he'd been called daily for as long as he could remember.

Kurt waited until he heard Karofsky's retreating footsteps and the revving of an engine, before carefully pulling out his phone and dialing Blaine, who picked up on the first ring.

"Kurt, where are you? Shouldn't you be here by now?" Blaine was worried. It wasn't like Kurt to be late.

"Blaine…" whispered Kurt, his voice barely concealing a sob.

"Oh my god, Kurt. What's wrong?" asked Blaine, instantly picking up on the fact that there was something the matter.

"Can you come get me?" asked Kurt.

"Of course. I'm on my way. Where are you?"

"I'm at school," said Kurt.

"Okay. Where at school?"

"In the parking lot…in a dumpster," Kurt whispered the last part, but Blaine still caught it.

He swore under his breath. "Who did this to you? Karofsky?"

"Yeah," Kurt said softly, afraid of how Blaine was going to react. It was bad enough admitting to being tossed in a dumpster and unable to get out. Blaine would flip when he realized that Karofsky had beat him up as well.

"Kurt, I'm going to leave my phone on speaker. I want to be able to talk to you the whole time. Okay?"

"Sure, Blaine," agreed Kurt. He heard the engine of Blaine's car start before tires squealed. "Don't break any traffic laws on my account," he said, attempting to joke.

"Kurt," said Blaine, seriously. "You are worth more than the price of a traffic ticket. I'd sell my soul to ensure your safety."

Kurt's body started shaking with silent sobs.

"Oh, shit," he heard Blaine curse softly. "Kurt, honey, take slow, deep breaths. I didn't mean to send you over the edge. Come back to me."

"I'm here," Kurt whispered.

"Good. Now, can you tell me what happened?"

Kurt took a deep breath before starting his tale of woe.

"Glee club had just let out. I was dropping off my books at my locker. When I shut it, Karofsky was standing there. I asked him what he wanted and before I knew it, he was kissing me again. I shoved him away and tried to make a run for it. He pinned me to the wall, kinda like when you were here last month, only this time he wouldn't let go. I told him to stay away, that I had a boyfriend and that he should back off. He flipped when he heard that I was taken. He asked if it was you and I nodded. He ordered me to break up with you. I said I wouldn't, that I wouldn't leave someone I love for someone who's made my life a living hell."

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Blaine smiled at hearing that Kurt loved him.

"Go on," he said, encouragingly.

"I pushed him away again and was successful at making it out to the parking lot before he caught me. He must have tackled me, or something. Then he tossed me in the dumpster."

Blaine was gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were white.

"Hold on, Kurt. I'm almost there," he said through clenched teeth.

"Why do I stick around?" Kurt wondered aloud to himself. "Why? It's not as if anyone would miss me if I left."

"Do you mean if you left McKinley or if you left this life?" asked Blaine, interrupting Kurt monologue. "Kurt, don't even think of committing suicide. Do you know what that would do to me? I'd die without you in my life. Don't insult me by taking your life. I care about you, as does your dad, and I'm sure your fellow Glee clubbers care a great deal more than they may let on. So Kurt, don't you dare contemplate suicide."

Kurt was crying again. "Just you wait…" he mumbled.

"What was that?" asked Blaine, although he'd heard Kurt perfectly well. _What could he mean by that?_ Blaine wondered.

At that moment, Blaine reached Lima and was soon within sight of McKinley.

"Kurt, I'm here. I see a bunch of dumpsters. Which one are you in?"

"Guess," said Kurt, bitterly. "It's the one with that disgusting word written all over it."

"Oh," came Blaine's quiet reply, then the phone went silent.

Suddenly, Kurt was blinded by the sun that was attempting to shine through the clouds. However, Blaine's face was soon blocking the sun as he peered down at Kurt.

Blaine swore under his breath at the sight of Kurt. His skin was pale white and he was shaking. He looked as though he were going to be sick.

"Hey, Kurt," he said, gently. "I got here as soon as I could."

Kurt looked up at him with wild eyes.

Carefully, hoping he wasn't injuring Kurt further, Blaine reached down and pulled the young boy up and out of the dumpster.

Not meeting Blaine's eyes, Kurt managed to whisper, "I called you as soon as he left. I heard his footsteps and they were sounding far away, and then I heard a car and I knew he was gone. Based on his reaction when he found out that you were my boyfriend, I didn't want to risk calling you and having you show up while he was still here. I didn't want him to hurt you the way he hurt me."

Kurt suddenly leaned over and was violently sick.

Blaine was seething with anger, but he managed to control it for Kurt's sake. Who did Karofsky think he was, dictating who Kurt could and couldn't go out with?

"You didn't have to wait. I can take care of myself," he said firmly.

Kurt looked up and gave him a watery smile.

"I feel better now that you're here. Can we go?"

"Sure," said Blaine, smiling easily and plotting how to subtly examine Kurt's body for signs of abuse. He had a strong hunch that Karofsky had been giving Kurt a hard time and that Kurt had been trying to be brave for his sake.

_Me and my stupid advice,_ thought Blaine, angrily. _From now on, I'll let Kurt handle things his way, unless I feel that he'll be in danger. In that case, nothing and nobody will stop me from protecting him the way he protected me today._

Blaine guided Kurt towards his car and held the door open for him, before helping him with his seatbelt. He then went to the driver's side and got in, started the engine and pulled out of the McKinley parking lot.

The drive to Blaine's house was silent. Both Blaine and Kurt were doing their best to keep their emotions in check. Neither wanted an outburst in such close quarters.

They pulled into the expansive driveway of Blaine's mansion. Blaine, again, helped Kurt out of the car by holding his door open for him.

When Kurt stumbled on his way up the porch steps, Blaine was there to catch him.

"Thanks," Kurt mumbled.

"Anytime," said Blaine. "And when we get inside, we're going to talk about what's been bothering you. I know you're hiding something from me and I want to help. That's what being a couple is about, Kurt, helping each other be the best that they can be."

Kurt could only nod, fear of the upcoming conversation clouding his senses. For the first time, he was afraid of Blaine. He was afraid of his reaction, not that he thought that Blaine would physically harm him.

They made their way up the stairs to Blaine's room. Blaine motioned for Kurt to sit on his bed. Blaine pulled out his desk chair and sat opposite Kurt.

"Now, what did Karofsky do to you that you don't want me to know about?"

Kurt sat there in silence for a moment, trying to form a coherent thought or sentence. Nothing was coming to him.

Finally, in answer, he slowly, painfully, took off his coat. Blaine, seeing the trouble he was having, sensed where they were headed and reached over to help Kurt pull off his shirt.

When Blaine sat back down, he was confronted with numerous bruises covering Kurt's torso. Some were obviously fresh, others were older.

Kurt watched Blaine take everything in. He could see the anger building in Blaine's eyes. Swiftly, he turned around so that his back was facing Blaine. He heard Blaine's sharp intake of breath as he took in the sight of Kurt's discolored back. The mottled skin was various shades of purple, yellow, and a sickly shade of green.

"What the hell, Kurt?" was all that Blaine could get out.

Slowly, Kurt sat back down.

"Ever since our confrontation, Karofsky has been especially brutal towards me. He's been slushying me daily, usually more than once. That much I've told you and Dad about. What I didn't tell you was that he's also taken to shoving me into lockers quite forcefully, more so than before the kiss. That's where most of these bruises have come from."

"And the others?" came Blaine's raspy voice.

"When I told you what happened after school today, I left something out. Karofsky didn't merely tackle me and toss me in the dumpster. He beat me, kicking me in the side and stomach until I almost blacked out. He wanted to be sure that any marks would be covered by my clothes."

"Why would he beat you now?" asked Blaine.

Feeling guilty for what he was about to say, Kurt cautiously met Blaine's gaze. "He found out I was seeing someone—you."

"Oh, God!" was all Blaine could get out before he collapsed in sobs. "This is all my fault."

Kneeling before Blaine, Kurt pulled his hands away from his face. "No, do NOT blame yourself, Blaine. Karofsky is always looking for a reason to torture me. Today gave him a better reason than usual. Not that he needs a reason. He's beaten me up for less."

Blaine started at hearing that Kurt, his sweet Kurt, had been beaten before.

"Oh, God!" he said again. "It should be me. It was my fault. I should be the one with those…"

"Don't even think of finishing that sentence," Kurt said sharply, causing Blaine to look up in surprise at his tone. "I was beaten before I met you and I'll probably continue to be beaten until I get out of Lima. I can accept that. It's just a couple more years. But don't ever think that anything that happens to me is your fault. I'd be picked on whether you were around or not. So just focus on the time we have together and forget about everyone else."

Kurt finished his speech by kissing Blaine, who relaxed instantly at Kurt's touch.

"It just…it pains me to think of you suffering while I get off scot free," Blaine murmured against Kurt's lips.

Kurt shrugged, only for his expression to tighten as he felt his shoulders complain at his actions.

"Come on. I've got some cream that should help clear those bruises up."

Kurt meekly followed Blaine into his bathroom. Blaine rummaged around in the cabinet for the first-aid kit, finally able to produce the promised cream.

Blaine led Kurt back to his room where he had Kurt sit on the floor. He sat behind Kurt and began to gently rub the cream into Kurt's back. The only sign that Kurt was in pain was when he would wince, and even that was rare.

"How can you stand this?" Blaine finally asked. "You must be in agony."

"I guess I've built up a tolerance for pain. I barely felt it when he was beating me. I was thinking of you."

Blaine stiffened at hearing that. "You were thinking of me? Why?"

"You gave me courage. I knew that if I thought of you, I could hold on until you came for me."

Chuckling slightly, Kurt admitted, "I think the reason Karofsky finally gave up on beating me was because I wasn't reacting at all. I wasn't crying or begging for mercy. I wasn't doing anything."

"You just lay there and took it?" asked Blaine, incredulous.

"Yeah, I guess so," said Kurt, realization finally dawning.

"Turn around. Let me get the front," urged Blaine.

Kurt turned around and Blaine repeated his soothing actions of rubbing the cream methodically into Kurt's skin.

"There. All done," Blaine announced.

"Thank you," whispered Kurt, shame at his actions once more taking over his senses.

Blaine responded by covering Kurt's lips with his.

Taking a shuddering breath, Kurt pulled away.

"Hey, it's okay," whispered Blaine, feeling Kurt's salty tears mingling with his own. "You know what? I am going to see to it that you are transferred to Dalton where you'll be safe from bullies. Screw courage. Your safety is more important than standing up to bullies."

Kurt could only nod, overwhelmed at the love shining out of Blaine's eyes.

"Trust me, Kurt. You are going to get to Dalton, one way or another."

"Thank you," said Kurt, once more kissing Blaine with as much passion as his bruised and battered body could withstand. "Will you stay with me when I tell my dad about what Karofsky's done? He might flip out less if you're there. The only reason I haven't told him before is because I was afraid he would have another heart attack. I'm not worth his dying over."

"Sure, Kurt. Anything for you," said Blaine, smiling adoringly at Kurt and choosing to ignore Kurt's comment about his not being worth dying for. Blaine wholeheartedly disagreed. He would gladly die for Kurt if it would mean he'd be safe from harm.

"Thank you."

For the rest of the afternoon, Kurt was content to just be held by Blaine, despite Blaine's protests that he might hurt Kurt further. Kurt shrugged it off and did his best to hide when Blaine's touch sent pain racing through his veins. Blaine, however, could tell and would always loosen his grip if Kurt's breath so much as hitched.

They enjoyed watching "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," but before they knew it, it was time for Kurt to be home. So, they got up and Blaine drove Kurt home where the two boys explained Kurt's situation to Kurt's dad. They told him how Karofsky's abuse had escalated since the kiss and how beneficial it would be for Kurt to transfer to Dalton, where he would be safe from the abuse of ignorant bullies. Burt agreed instantly and Kurt's transfer was set in motion.

He arrived at Dalton where he was greeted by Blaine, Wes, David, and the other Warblers, who serenaded their newest addition with "Teenage Dream," the same song that had welcomed Kurt to Dalton as a spy.

As the song finished, Blaine pulled Kurt to him and, mindful of his still-healing bruises, kissed him for the whole school to see, showing everyone that Kurt was his and that nothing was going to break them apart.

"I love you, Kurt," Blaine whispered in his ear.

"I love you too," Kurt replied, pulling away with a smile on his face, before leaning in and connecting their lips once more.


End file.
